With the holiday season in full swing and elaborate menus planned, it’s a wonderful thing to have this up your sleeve for a quick, easy, and elegant dinner for a few friends that come by for some holiday cheer. French cuisine is sometimes
It all started on our vacation in the mountains. My 4-year old daughter had her first taste of clam chowder at one of the local restaurants during our stay. She loved it! The very next day she and her dad took a trip to the local market to load up on some good eats and there they were, huddled behind a glass case… clams, lots of live clams.
Mulligatawny…Don’t you just love the sound of it? With fast approaching cooler days I’ve brought out the big soup pot. I love soup. I’ve often thought of opening a soup shop, ala Jerry Seinfeld’s “The Soup Nazi.” The actor, Larry Thomas, actually stayed at a B&B down the street about a year ago. He was doing a benefit in
It is always fun to see the fruit trees bloom in spring, knowing that the flowers will turn into something so good and healthy to eat. This year I was blessed with an abundance of apples on my tree. Here in Southern California the apple tree of choice (about the only one that does not need cold temperatures to produce) is the Anna Apple.
What kid doesn’t like ravioli? It was my favorite food when I was about 7 or 8. I hate to admit it, but it came out of can. I would even eat it cold… right out of the can. Don’t think I could do that now…but making your own is a great project to do with the kids, and also create something sooo
Did you ever wonder about the origins of your favorite dish? Well…everything has a beginning.
Keshi Yena, a delicious dish from the Caribbean island of Curacao, has a humble beginning. This dish was born in the heat of the slave trade on the island in the 17th and 18th century.
The best tip ever! A couple had organized their gourmet group to come to the Cookery for a Spanish Paella Party. As they arrived, Heather asked if I would like a dozen eggs from their own chickens. She pulled out the most beautiful eggs in blues and greens from Ameraucana chickens. Oh my gosh! Such a wonderful gift.
Here we go with the peanut butter again. I think I must secretly adore peanut butter. Even I don’t realize it, until I try something like this. Thai flavors are so intriguing…. peanuts, lime, coconut, cilantro, even stinky fish sauce. (No fish sauce in this dressing, to keep it vegetarian, but you could throw in a shot, if you are so inclined.)
Did you know that half the world population subsists on a diet of rice? There are more than 40,000 varieties growing around the world. About 90% of rice on the world market is grown in Asian countries. Spain’s growing region is in the south where water is plentiful. The three main types of Spanish rice are Valencia, Calasparra and Bomba, the most prized. Paella, which is essentially a rice dish, with a few
Growing your own mushrooms seems a bit unusual, seeing as I steer clear of their random unwanted cousins in my garden. When I first tried this I was living in the Midwest. I had a huge crop of shitakes that were a great conversation piece when visitors came. I am not sure how I came upon getting my first kit. It has been so many years…
Spring has brought us warmer weather, the grass is greening, and there are tiny buds on the trees. My favorite time of year! It’s been such a long winter…but then it always is. I’m just so tired of being cold.
A traditional sign of spring and renewal is the egg. There are eggs everywhere these days… for Easter, and I’m just thinking what a perfect
